


Ninety-Six Point Three

by TeamHPForever



Category: Star Trek, Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Post-Star Trek: Into Darkness, Shore Leave
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-28
Updated: 2013-09-28
Packaged: 2017-12-27 19:45:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,393
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/982879
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TeamHPForever/pseuds/TeamHPForever
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kirk convinces Spock to come with him for shore leave. The planet turns out not to be as uninhabited as their scanners suggested.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ninety-Six Point Three

The planet of Siria is rich and uninhabited, perfect for a couple days of shore leave for the crew. Half of the planet is forested with thick groves that seem to be suspended in a constant state of beautiful color similar to that of Earth’s autumn. The other half rolls in long slopes of low hills and fields of wildflowers. 

“Captain,” Spock says patiently when Kirk comes begging him to beam down with them, “my preferred form of recreation consists of remaining on the ship with my experiments. I do not require shore leave.” 

“But think of the samples!” Kirk replies. 

“There are others that can collect adequate samples,” Spock counters but Kirk knows that he almost has him. 

“The ensigns never do a satisfactory job and you know it,” Kirk replies, even though he knows that the ensigns do a fine job of collecting samples. Spock just happens to be particularly picky about the ones that he studies. 

“Very well,” Spock gives in. “I will accompany you in order to further research the local flora.” He’s insistent but Kirk doesn’t miss the tiniest bit of a smile on the Vulcan’s face. 

Two hours later, more than half the crew is beaming down to the planet’s surface. They’ll stay until the next morning and then switch with those staying on the Enterprise. 

The planet’s temperature is comfortably warm and the sun shines down on them from overhead. Three moons can be seen scattered across the sky, two more only visible at night. The sky is crystal clear blue, just like Earth, without the slightest sign of clouds. Life scans indicated only small species of animal scattered across the planet’s surface and no other inhabitants. 

“What do you think, Spock?” Kirk asks. 

The Vulcan is impassive as his eyes scan their surroundings. They’ve beamed down into the middle of a particularly flat field, bordering the edge of a crystal clear lake. The bottom consists entirely of pure white sand. 

“This is a satisfactory location for shore leave, captain.” 

“Yes, I know, I chose it myself.” Spock looks like he’s about to mention some of Kirk’s less satisfactory choices for shore leave—like the time they beamed down into the middle of a war zone between two species of creatures similar to ants if ants were the size of footballs—but Kirk hurries to distract him. “What do you think?”

“I think that this planet will yield some fascinating samples.” Without saying goodbye, Spock wanders off into the field and disappears into a particularly tall patch of electric pink flowers.   
Kirk sighs and follows his crew over to the edge of the lake. The sand feels more like velvet than actual sand and, despite the warmth of the day, the lake is ice cold. Chekov is already waist deep in the water, trails of it pouring off of him and sparkling in the midday sun. He yells for McCoy to join him, but the doctor just scowls and shakes his head, settling onto the sand. 

Kirk feels a strange spike of longing. Even McCoy has someone now. He’d dared to hope, when Spock and Uhura had finally decided that their relationship wasn’t working, that he might be able to explore whatever it is he feels for the Vulcan but so far Spock has remained what he’s always been—his loyal and dedicated first officer. 

Kirk is wandering around the lake, trying to check for any signs of life in the area, when his communicator beeps. 

“Kirk here,” he answers without even thinking about it. 

“Captain,” Spock’s voice replies, “it appears there has been a serious miscalculation.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean—” Spock goes silent as a strange whirring sound surrounds him “—this planet is not as uninhabited as we believed.” 

“Should I call Scotty to beam us out of here?” Kirk’s already starting the trek back around the lake to where most of his relaxing crew is hanging out. Tension vibrates in his muscles. If Spock’s in trouble…no, he can’t think like that. If Spock was in danger, he’d let him know. 

“I do not believe that is necessary,” Spock replies. The strange whirring is rising in pitch again. Kirk realizes that it’s probably the product of whatever life forms they’ve managed to overlook. “You may want to see this.” 

“Where are you?” 

Spock rattles off a list of coordinates and Kirk immediately changes direction, plunging into the depths of the field. “I’m by the lake but I’ll be there soon. Kirk out.” He closes his communicator and increases his pace to a jog. He expects to have to struggle through the field but it’s almost like the flowers are parting to let him pass. 

When he reaches the coordinates Spock gave him, his first officer is nowhere to be seen. He’s standing in the middle of a trampled down bit of field that reminds him of old Earth crop circles. Kirk pulls out his communicator and calls for Spock. 

“Spock here.” 

Kirk lets out a sigh of relief. “Where are you?” 

The ground starts to rumble and a patch of dirt just a few feet away from him caves under to reveal a set of dug-out steps. “I am below ground, captain.” 

Kirk closes his communicator and pulls out his phaser, moving down the steps one at a time. If he expects it to be dark underground, he is very much mistaken. Strange lights line the walls of a tunnel. They seem to be made out of brightly glowing rocks. 

Kirk follows the tunnel until it widens into a huge room like a cathedral. Spock’s sitting at a long stone table surrounded by…well, Kirk’s not quite sure what they are. 

The creatures look like a cross between humans and flowers. Their bodies are slender and covered with a layer of green velvet. Instead of legs they have roots, buried deep into the dirt beneath them. When they move, they travel through the ground as easily as if it were water. Their faces are perfectly round, with vertical black eyes and no visible mouths. Covering the backs of their heads are tiny petals layered like hair. 

“They call themselves the Florica,” Spock says. 

“Any ideas why they didn’t show up on our scanners?” Kirk asks, watching as the Floricans turn their attention to him. A few of the younger ones—at least he assumes they’re young by their smaller size and lack of petals—poke at his legs with some of their smaller roots. 

“My current hypothesis is the scanner did not consider them as life forms due to their plantlike nature,” Spock replies, undergoing similar treatment. The Floricans seem particularly interested in his pointed ears. 

“Can they understand us?” Kirk is careful not to step on anyone’s roots as he makes his way across the floor and sits on a block of stone next to his first officer. 

“I do not believe so. They seem to communicate with vibrations in the air and the ground rather than sound.” That would explain the soft whirring noise that fills the chamber. It sounds almost like the soft incomprehensible buzz of noise that comes with putting a lot of people in a large room. 

“How do you know they’re called the Floricans if we can’t communicate with them?” 

Spock merely wiggles his fingers in the air in response. 

“Right. Vulcan.” Kirk ducks his head in embarrassment. “Did they seem hostile in any way?” 

“Not at all, captain. The Floricans are merely curious creatures. They have never encountered anything like us before.” One of them seems to be trying to pull off Kirk’s shoe. He gently moves his foot away and the young Florican scurries away. 

At that moment, the ground beneath their feet rumbles. The vibrations in the room rise to an intensity that rattles Kirk’s eardrums and makes him grind his teeth. The Florica scatter, some of them heading back down the tunnel from which Kirk had come, others melting through the dirt walls like they’re not even there. 

“What’s going on?” Kirk asks, his entire body on high alert. 

“I do not know, captain.” Spock stands and the floor explodes. Dirt flies everywhere and it isn’t until it settles and Kirk rubs clumps out of his eyes that he’s able to see that the new arrival is not at all friendly. 

The creature looks like a cross between a vole and a bear. It’s huge enough that its back presses against the ceiling of the dome and its teeth are larger than Kirk’s head. He’s definitely close enough to judge. 

Kirk grabs for Spock’s hand without thinking about it and the feeling when Spock twines his fingers with his is like an electric shock. There isn’t time to think about that now, though, because whatever that thing is, it’s starting to come to its senses. 

It growls, a low and menacing sound, and Kirk doesn’t hesitate. He races for the tunnel, pulling Spock along with him. It must be sturdier than it looks because it hasn’t collapsed in the explosion. The lights flash by as they race down it, up the stairs, and into the fresh air. 

“Do you think it’s following us?” Kirk asks as they push their way into the field in the general direction of the lake. He’s desperate to put as much space between them and the vole-bear as possible, whether it’s following them or not, but a small part of his brain is still considering the fact that Spock hasn’t let go of his hand. 

“It is possible,” Spock replies and Kirk pushes on just a bit faster. By the time they reach the lake, he’s out of breath and his uniform is clinging to his body. Spock, the bastard, doesn’t even seem to have broken a sweat. His hand slips out of Spock’s as he stumbles down to the water and sticks his whole head into the freezing surface. 

“Do you think that it’s safe to stay?” Kirk asks when he comes back up for air. He surveys his crew, doing a head count. Some of them seem to have wandered off to explore but most have stayed on the edge of the lake. In the time he’s been gone, Chekov has somehow convinced Bones to join him. The doctor is trying hard to keep his gruff exterior intact but Kirk can recognize the playful bits shining through. 

“I estimate the danger at five point three percent increased to twelve point eight percent overnight,” Spock replies. Kirk loves it when he does that, even if it doesn’t really make his decisions as captain any easier. He knows well enough that the odds do not always reflect the reality. 

“We’ll beam back at sundown,” Kirk decides, leaning back in the sand. Back here in the sun away from that monster he feels his heart rate returning to normal. He still finds it hard to believe that their scanners could miss so much and makes a mental note to have a conversation with someone about it later. 

“I will collect more samples in the meantime,” Spock says. He starts off in the opposite direction of the Florica and then pauses. “Would you accompany me, captain?” 

Kirk hesitates in his surprise but scrambles to his feet. “Sure.” 

They start off in the direction of the nearby forest, Spock pausing every so often to snip off a couple of leaves or a small flower from various plants. While they walk, Kirk takes a few minutes to contact his crew on-planet and warn them of the newly discovered dangers. 

He’s starting to wonder why the Vulcan invited him along when he feels it. The smallest brush of fingertips across the back of his hand. 

Spock bends down to gather another sample—this one from a strange purple shoot—but Kirk knows that he did it on purpose. 

“Why didn’t you say anything?” Spock asks, his voice so soft that Kirk isn’t sure he said anything at all. 

“About what?” 

Spock doesn’t reply as he tucks the new sample into a bag. Then he reaches across the space between them and takes Kirk’s hand. The answer hits Kirk in the chest like a phaser blast. Vulcans sense emotions through touch. He’d been holding Spock’s hand the entire time they’d been running from the creature. 

“I didn’t think that you wanted me to,” Kirk whispers. 

Spock’s looking at him with intensity that makes Kirk’s spine tremble. He’s had that gaze turned on him so many times but never quite like this. Spock’s so close that Kirk can feel the heat rolling off of his skin. 

He’s never quite realized how much hotter Vulcans are than humans until now. He thinks he likes it. 

“You are oblivious, Jim.” Coming from anyone else, he’d probably consider it an insult but he’s too distracted by the sound of his name on Spock’s lips. He’s insisted that Spock call him that so many times, but it happens so rarely that each one is like a gift. 

Kirk barely notices that Spock is getting closer until he feels the feather light touch of the Vulcan’s lips on his own. It’s like another electric shock, this one rocking him to the core, and his body reacts before his brain does. 

He reaches for Spock, resting his hands lightly on his waist and pulling him closer. Spock responds in kind, clutching him tight like he’s never letting go. 

Kirk briefly wonders if this would have happened months ago if they hadn’t been separated by a sheet of glass that day he died. He shoves that thought away as hard as he can, not wanting Spock to feel the deep surge of fear and hurt that’s been simmering below the surface ever since. 

He knows he didn’t do it quick enough as Spock’s kiss gentles and one of his hands draws soothing circles on his captain’s back. 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Kirk asks when they draw back for breath. 

“I estimated the odds that you would arrive to your own conclusion at ninety-six point three percent,” Spock replies. His usually neat hair is mussed up and there’s a tint of green spreading across his cheeks. Kirk never wants to stop looking at him. 

Kirk laughs and Spock shudders as he runs his fingers up the Vulcan’s. “Of course you did.”


End file.
